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Indiana Bicentennial Celebration 2016
Floyd County
Q&A with County Coordinator Melissa Wiseheart
What do you consider the key accomplishment(s) of your county’s bicentennial celebration?
- Successfully completing our leg of the Torch Relay and our Happy Birthday, Indiana party.
What Legacy Project do you most like to tell people about, and why?
- Southern Indiana Genealogical Society's First Families of Floyd, Clark and Harrison County. It's something everyone can do and I think researching one's family gives that person a sense of where they fit, a sense of belonging to something greater than themselves, a sense of pride, and a sense of community.
Describe a highlight or most memorable moment related to your county's bicentennial celebration.
- Our Harvest Homecoming Parade included a Torchbearers float this year. They invited me to ride on the float with them. It was an amazing experience.
How/where are you preserving information and artifacts related to your county's celebration?
- The Indiana Bicentennial Collection will be available at the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library's Stuart Barth Wrege Indiana History Room in early 2017.
Total number of volunteers who participated.
- 32.
Estimated total attendance.
- 75,000.
Estimated dollar amount raised (if applicable).
- $2,500.
Estimated dollar amount spent (if applicable).
- $3,000.
Floyd County Legacy Projects
- Brock Sampson-Hardin Ridge – Bicentennial Nature Trust
- Buffalo Trace Educational Boxes
- Classical Harvest-Harvest Homecoming, Inc. 2016
- First Families of Floyd, Clark and Harrison Counties
- Floyd County Oral History Project
- New Albany – Floyd County Public Library Bicentennial Lunch & Learn Series
- New Albany Park – Bicentennial Nature Trust
- Ohio River Glades – Bicentennial Nature Trust
- Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social Featuring Vintage Bicycles
- Picturing the Past: 2016 Calendar
- Shakes-Beer
- Steeple Restoration for Underground Railroad Town Clock Church
- Throwback Thursday Summer Lecture Series
Photos from Floyd County's Bicentennial Activities/Events
Floyd County Facts
The origin of Floyd County’s name is debated. According to the State Library, it was named for John Floyd, a leading Jefferson County, Kentucky pioneer and uncle of Davis Floyd. John Floyd was killed in 1783 when his party was attacked by Indians in Bullitt County, Kentucky.
However, some maintain the county was actually named for Davis Floyd, who was convicted of aiding Aaron Burr in the treason of 1809. Davis Floyd had also been a leading local political figure and was the county’s first circuit court judge.
About the courthouse: Walker, Applegate, Oakes and Ritz were the architects and the building was completed in 1961.
New Albany would be the largest city in the state for much of the early 19th century, eventually being overtaken by Indianapolis during the Civil War.
Floyds Knobs was named after the most prominent geographical feature of the county which are the knobs: many steep hills which dot the midsection of the county. The highest point is South Skyline Drive, at just over 1,000 ft (300 m).
The Duncan Tunnel, the longest in Indiana, was built in Floyd County in 1881 between New Albany and Edwardsville. Because no route over the Floyds Knobs was suitable for a railroad line, civil engineers decided to tunnel through them. The project was originally began by the Air Line but was completed by Southern Railway. It took five years to bore at a cost of $1 million. The Tunnel is 4,311 feet (1,314 m) long.
County Seat: New Albany
Year Organized: 1819
Square Miles: 147.94
Floyd County Bicentennial Committee
- Melissa Wiseheart
- Peggy Roberson
- John Beams
- Shanna McKim
- Matt Uhl
